CREATIVE CITY

Deogracias Lerma, Polly Magazine (www.pollymagazine.com) Founder--and Editor-in-Chief/Creative Director/Chief Photographer-- talks about working with famed photographer Annie Leibovitz in New York, what it takes to start a print magazine in an increasingly digital world, and the importance of taking the initiative to create what you want to see.

For Deo (his nickname literally means God), growing up with three sisters meant there were a lot of women’s magazines around the house. He was smitten, and after years of working as a photographer for other publications, he started Polly with the intention of capturing people’s stories and showing the struggle behind the art. Producing content and securing advertisers ain’t easy, and Deo quickly learned that while wearing all the hats forces you to learn things, it’s fine to make it up as you go and learn along the way. If you’re interested in learning how this regional magazine with a national flair came to be, you’ll want to listen to this episode!